St. Pete Teens Hit 120 Mph In Wild I-75 Chase In Stolen SUV

Two 16-year-olds from St. Petersburg are facing serious trouble after troopers say they turned a stolen Toyota Highlander into a runaway missile on Tampa-area highways, hitting speeds close to 120 mph and blasting through red lights in the middle of the day.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the teens tore through Hillsborough County, jumped onto the Selmon Expressway, and at one point used the grass median in an effort to get away. The chase wound from I-75 to local roads as the SUV tried to outrun law enforcement.

Pasco County deputies initially called for backup before Florida Highway Patrol troopers took over the pursuit of the Highlander, authorities said. After the chase finally ended, both 16-year-olds were taken to a juvenile center, as reported by WFLA.

If the incident generated a crash report, that document would be filed with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Those official reports can take up to 10 days to show up in the public system. The state crash portal is where journalists and residents can request records, and it also walks users through how to obtain reports and crash data. See the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for details.

How troopers ended the pursuit

Troopers say the Highlander ran multiple red lights through Tampa and even cut across the grass median on the Selmon Expressway in a risky attempt to escape. Once state troopers engaged, they tried first to use a precision immobilization technique, then followed with a PIT maneuver near U.S. 301 and Columbus Drive.

Officers reported that the maneuver sent the vehicle toward the median, and the SUV began to lose control near Stannum Street as the pursuit reached its final moments. The tactics and sequence of events were detailed by WFLA.

Legal notes on juvenile arrests

Because the suspects are minors, the case will initially move through Florida's juvenile justice system unless prosecutors decide to seek adult charges. Juvenile detention, case processing, and records are handled under a separate set of rules from adult court, including different standards for confidentiality and how records can later be sealed.

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice outlines how detention works, what privacy rules apply, and how juvenile records are treated over time. For more about that process, see the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Troopers have asked anyone with dash-cam or cellphone video from the chase to contact investigators as they continue reviewing what happened. The state also posts safety resources, reckless driving reporting options, and crash record links on its website through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles traffic and safety pages.